The memorial is located in the Tiergarten,
a large public park to the west of the city centre, on the north side of the
Strasse des 17 Juni (June 17th Street), the major east-west thoroughfare
running from the Brandenburg Gate to the Siegessäule (Victory Column).

The Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten) is one of several war
memorials in Berlin, capital city of Germany, erected by the Soviet
Union to commemorate its war dead, particularly the 20,000 soldiers of
the Soviet Armed Forces who died during the Battle of Berlin in April
and May 1945.

History

A T-34 tank mounted in front of the Memorial This memorial was
erected in 1945, within a few months of the capture of the city. Early
photos show the memorial standing in a wilderness of ruins, the
Tiergarten having been destroyed by incendiary bombs and then stripped
of timber for firewood during the last months of the war. Today it is
surrounded by the extensive woodlands of the reconstituted Tiergarten.
Although the memorial stood in the British sector of Berlin, its
construction was supported by all the Allied powers. Throughout the Cold
War, a Soviet Guard was present at the memorial, using a side-door of
the Brandenburg Gate to get into the western sector at the time of
changing of the Guard.

DesignThe memorial takes the form of a curved stoa topped by a
large statue of a Soviet soldier. It is set in landscaped gardens and
flanked by two Red Army ML-20 152mm gun-howitzer artillery pieces and
two T-34 tanks. Behind the memorial is an outdoor museum showing
photographs of the memorial's construction and giving a guide to other
memorials in the Berlin area. A large Cyrillic inscription is written
underneath the soldier statue, which is translated as "Eternal glory to
the heroes who fell in battle with the German fascist occupiers for the
freedom and independence of the Soviet Union".

The Memorial TodayThe memorial is still a site of active commemoration. On
the anniversary of VE Day, (8 May), wreath-laying ceremonies are held at
the memorial. It is a site of pilgrimage for war veterans from the
countries of the former Soviet Union. It is also a popular tourist
attraction, since it is much closer to the centre of the city than the
larger Soviet war memorial at Treptower Park. The memorial is maintained
by the City of Berlin.